Hamilton approaching milestone 350th race with ‘zero effs vibe’

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Ahead of his remarkable milestone 350th race in F1, Lewis Hamilton has made it clear that he’s taking a fresh approach after being “slapped and surprised” by last weekend’s challenging Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The Mercedes driver is determined to stay positive, no matter the outcome, and is adopting a “zero effs” mindset as he looks forward to the remainder of the season.

Despite a strong mid-season run, including two victories for Hamilton and one for George Russell, the Brackley squad has struggled in recent races.

Baku proved to be particularly difficult for Hamilton, who started from the pit lane and finished ninth. Russell, however, managed to secure a podium finish after a late-race incident involving Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz bumped him up the order.

Read also: Hamilton struggled with ‘worst balance ever’ in Azerbaijan GP

Asked if he expected to endure in Singapore another tough race weekend amid Mercedes’ struggles, Hamilton chuckled and shrugged off the suggestion.

“I hope not, definitely not looking for a repeat of last week!” he said.

“Just when you think you’ve experienced it all and had the worst, you get slapped and surprised.

“That’s just motor racing, but I’m really hoping this weekend is stronger again. I’m coming in with more of a ‘zero effs’ vibe either way, and it’ll be good either way.”

The future Ferrari charger explained that his mindset was about maintaining focus and not getting bogged down by setbacks.

“I think these past couple of days, having to reflect on last weekend, because it started off so positive… I was at the factory doing the sim, which I don’t do a lot, preparing, arrived and first lap I was on it,” he explained.

“Then all of a sudden it slipped through my fingers and it was miserable the rest of the weekend. You can put it down to so many different things. We all care so much, everyone’s working so hard.

“I think [it’s more about] coming into this weekend and we’re just going to give it absolutely everything and whether it goes well or not, it is what it is.

“We’re in that period of time I think, of the season, where we’ve just got to give absolutely everything and if it doesn’t go well just, not necessarily not giving a 'thing', but not letting it beat us down and trying to stay positive. We’ve got seven more shots at it, so we’re going to bowl our hardest.”

Reflecting on the significance of this weekend’s milestone 350th race, Hamilton admitted to being unfazed by the number, focusing instead on his passion for the sport.

“I think these past couple of days I’ve definitely been thinking to myself ‘how or why am I extending so much to be here for at least another hundred friggin' races?!’” he said.

“I love what I do, so it’s not a surprise. It’s not something that I really think too much of.”

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.